These groups have performed so-called “civic arrests” of migrants independently of the Bulgarian authorities and security forces.

And while they seem to be two separate entities that united for a common cause, their public appearances and activities strongly suggest in practice they are a joint entity under the predominant guidance of BNO Shipka’s leadership, with an overlapping membership base.

Although these groups have received only sporadic press coverage, their case deserves more detailed attention. That’s because they function not only as a militia, but also as a semi-covert instrument of sweeping anti-EU and anti-NATO propaganda, flying under the radar of wider public attention.

It is helpful to take a closer look at their core ideas. Their official platform and key creed documents make it obvious that they represent a chaotic mix of ideas directly challenging the constitutional order of Bulgaria and are heavily influenced by simplistic notions about direct democracy.

In addition, their so-called “platform” is supplemented with documents regarding the “genocide of Bulgarian people” and “its rights and obligations to revolt against the illegitimate government.” These are coupled with open appeals for a “ban on political parties” and strict punishment of “the greedy and useless political party elites.”

The documents are also meant to elicit “socialist nostalgia,” making calls to return to the communist era “People’s Republic,” “People’s armed forces,” and other government structures. Such radical ideas are meant for local consumption, to be utilized among impoverished and discontented Bulgarians.

The propaganda is fine-tuned for a local Bulgarian audience by utilizing strong anti-Turkish sentiment. Apart from general Islamophobia, one can easily detect the other major trend in framing, namely alarmist “reporting” that calls for mental and physical mobilization for repelling an invasion by the ultimate “other,” an invasion allegedly instigated by the West and deployed by the boogeymen of the CIA, MI6, and Mossad.

The framing portrays NATO, EU and the West in general as effeminate, weak, and unable to protect the local Bulgarian population from the “migrant invasion” or the perennial “Turkish threat.” The latter is a strong message for older Bulgarians especially, as the country restored its independence of the so-called “Third Bulgarian State” from Ottoman rule only in 1878.

This approach calls for popular mobilization and militarization of civilians in Bulgaria, something quite familiar for Russia and ethnic Russian communities in neighboring countries that strive to achieve something referred to as a “mobilization state.”

The lexical constructs used in this propaganda, as well as the groups’ distinct “brand,” closely mirrors separatist “branding” in parts of Eastern Ukraine. All of these are not native to contemporary Bulgarian lexical discourse and seem “imported.”

BNO Shipka’s choice of name for their organization’s type in Bulgarian is not random, as „опълчение“ (roughly translated to English, as a “patriotic militia”) has a patriotic connotation and is tied to Bulgarian resistance efforts against Ottoman rule in the context of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878 that led to the creation of independent Bulgaria. Note that this specific term also is being used to describe separatist forces in Ukraine and has connotations spanning back to resistance during World War II.

The Context Of The Migration Crisis

The carcass of a burned hog with a slit throat — a message to migrants. Writing on the hog’s carcass reads “Welcome Migrants – BNO’” (source)

Until several years ago, BNO Shipka was quite unknown to international and Bulgarian audiences. This situation changed dramatically with the “high tide” of the refugee wave in 2015-2016.

When the wave arrived, Sofia was found to lack infrastructure and coherent policy toward the newcomers. Abandoned sites were hastily transformed into refugee camps, whichquickly became overcrowded.

The biggest winners of the policy and infrastructure vacuum were nationalists and ultra-nationalist of all stripes. The Western media that covered their so-called “voluntary border patrols,” which were mostly run by BNO Shipka, created a sense of mystique surrounding these vigilantes. As they gained publicity, important details regarding their modus operandi, structure, financing, networks and foreign support remained overlooked.

Watchers On The Wall Of The “European Fortress” & A Possible Christchurch Connection

The leadership demonstrates that their allies are in Moscow, while their enemies are the EU and NATO.

According to a local intelligence officer, whose identity we are keeping anonymous as they are not officially authorized to comment, the organization was initially considered to be an odd assortment of “clowns and lunatics that did not pose real danger.”

According to this source, in 2016, with Shipka’s visibility enhanced, there was an increase in the number of volunteer enrollment, mainly from young men from the coastal cities of Varna and Burgas, who wanted to “patrol” the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

“Cynically or not, for us there was no problem for these boys to stroll along the border, as partially they were executing part of the work of the official Border Police. And if they wanted to pose as ‘migrant hunters’ — even better. Then, that was our main line of thinking,” our source added.

The Bulgarian security services’ opinions on BNO Shipka then underwent a change. At the end of 2018 they began to scrutinize Shipka more closely. The reason was information about arms shipments going through the port of Varna that — via intermediaries — allegedly end up with the “border patrols” and are possibly used for training and exercises at “Svejen hut” and Strandzha mountain.

Several events held at the above locations have been attended by known members of the Western European far-right. Open source data suggests that people from different European countries come to Bulgaria for meetings with “patrol” members and remain for several days for trainings and exercises, which possibly include automatic weapons.

On one of the pictures from an alleged exercise, an AR-15 can be spotted — this is the weapon similar to the one used by Brenton Tarrant (i.e. the so-called “Christchurch shooter”) in his attack on New Zealand mosques. Tarrant visited Bulgaria in the autumn of 2018 and has toured historical sites connected to struggles against the Ottoman rule.

Due to Tarrant’s specific itinerary, the Bulgarian security services have launched a probe into possible meetings or links with local paramilitaries.

The initial lack of interest from local security services created a window of opportunity for the “border patrols.” From 2016 onward, they have received a boost in membership and online following.

According to our source, they developed a network of volunteers, may collect membership dues and, are cultivating an international network of contacts not only in Russia, but in Western Europe as well.

The links to Western Europe deserve specific attention, as the operational funds for these groups partially come from donations. The source admits that “the money is transferred by hand and thus tracking [it] is a tedious task… In fact, we do not know how much has been transferred by hand.”

Reply on Facebook to a discussion from BNO Shipka stating that “the most valuable in the incoming crisis here in Bulgaria will be arms, ammunition and fuel….” (source)

Finance and logistics bring us to scrutinizing connections between the Western European far right and BNO Shipka. The figure that has drawn the most media attention in connection with her appeals for outside support for “border patrols” is ex-PEGIDA frontwoman Tatjana Festerling.

Festerling, who comes from Germany, has a business connection to Bulgaria, as her LinkedIn professional profile describes her as a General Manager of Black Sea Consulting company in Bulgaria — this is besides her designation as the International Relations Manager of Vasil Levski Bulgarian Military Veterans Union / BNO Shipka and spokeswoman for Fortress Europe.

Speaking of material support, a backer and “investor” into the Bulgarian venture is Jim Dowson, a well-known figure on the British radical right. Personally and through his favorite “vehicle,” Knights Templar International (KTI), Dowson has paid visits to Bulgaria along with former British National Party leader Nick Griffin.

KTI has supported BNO Shipka with drones, uniforms, bags, clothing, and even bulletproof vests. In a video published in 2016, Dowson claimed that the “patrols” have been fighting Ottomans and Islamists crossing the border. According to him, this was an epic battle between ‘’good and evil.” He invited others to come and train with the militia, or else fund and supply them.

In another video, Dowson joins a BNO patrol alongside the Bulgarian-Turkish border. In the video, he expresses gratitude to supporters from America and the Philippines for funding the organization.

Dowson (right) with a Serbian volunteer during a BNO Shipka “patrol” in Bulgaria (source)

KTI is usually described as a religious organization that, according to its leadership, has strong support outside the UK, mainly in Eastern Europe and the U.S. It is aggressively anti-liberal, Islamophobic and seeks to form alliances with participants in right-wing forums, such as the infamous International Russian Conservative Forum, where the notion of modern-day Russia as a “Third Rome” and “Savior of Christianity” is shared among fringe right wing participants invested in the idea of an anti-EU rebellion.

KTI has been fundraising for various militias in the Balkans and constantly getting involved in serial scandals related to escalation of tensions from Budapest to Kosovo, while reportedly frequenting Serbia with Alexander Dugin’s close aides. Dugin is probably one of the most well-known representatives of the Russian neo-Eurasianism philosophy today, and was once dubbed “the most dangerous philosopher in the world” in regards to his past influence over certain key decision-makers in the Kremlin, particularly in the context of the Russian annexation of Crimea. Dugin and his associates continue to act as intellectual “magnets” and organizers for segments of international far right nationalism.

In 2015, KTI members visited Syria and met with members of the SSNP (Syrian Socialist Nationalist Party), a political party with an armed wing aligned with Bashar al-Assad. During the same visit they managed to meet with Assad and prominent members of the Baath party and visit Latakia and Damascus, in areas with a predominantly Christian population.

KTI’s Bulgarian allies appear to share the former’s sentiments toward Dugin and the Syrian regime. Rusev has been spotted in rallies in Bulgaria where Assad loyalists have also been present.

We should also note that Bulgarian groups have obviously also focused on creating connections closer to home. Recently, participants in the proto-militia’s activities have been drawn from regional neighbors, such as Romania.

In their search for legitimacy, Bulgaria’s proto-militia have also sought to create partnerships with the so-called Cyberpol organization and ECIPS (The European Centre for Information Policy and Security), as part of Cyberpol headed by Ricardo Baretzky. Their partnership was signed to promote the fight “against corruption and global illegal traffic.”

Zorin’s tours have included many countries, including Bulgaria, where he trained BNO Shipka members (here we see him with the leader of BNO Shipka, Vladimir Rusev). His trips seem to taken him, as far as North Korea. This picture might be from occupied Ukraine, but this could not be confirmed for certain.

Shchegolikhin is a curious representative of the substantial Russian diaspora that has acquired properties in Bulgaria, mostly along the Black Sea coast. A graduate of the military department of Tomsk State University, Shchegolikhin is no stranger to controversy in Bulgaria.

In the summer of 2016, as part of their so-called “Slavic March,” the Russian Night Wolves biker gang was set to visit Bulgaria and tour multiple cities, coinciding with the visit of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. As the Wolves were set to pass through Burgas, local Ukrainian residents decided to hold a protest that was in turn ambushed and disrupted by BNO Shipka’s members.

One of the attackers was Shchegolikhin. Despite the negative publicity surrounding the incident, he did not since shy away from his affiliation with the paramilitary network and regularly attends political protests and drills.

Shchegolikhin (second from the left, wearing fatigues) during the ambush of the Ukrainian protest against the visit of the “Night Wolves”. Screenshot via topnovini.bg (video)

Another screenshot of the protest ambush. Shchegolikhin is on the right, with the ponytail

Another possible connection to Zorin is a Russian expat and resident of the Black Sea coast town of Sveti Vlas by the name of Timur Seyfetdinov. This man, who poses in fatigues like Shchegolikhin, is also frequently seen in the company of BNO Shipka’s leadership and participates in its regular activities.

From left to right: Timur Seyfetdinov (Russian), Vladimir Rusev, Igor Zorin (Russian), Yevgeniy Shchegolikhin (Russian) in a photo from Facebook

Survivalism As Cover And The Need For More Monitoring

While militia propaganda is a mix of often self-contradictory statements and logical fallacies, we have demonstrated that their bias is clearly pro-Russian and anti-EU. This is reflected not only in activities that draw larger media attention pertaining to patrolling the beginning of the so-called “Balkan migration route,” but also to a smaller but highly symbolic gestures during Bulgarian historical national holiday celebrations and commemorations where their members pose with Russian flags and anti-Western slogans.

Their core membership tends to be associated with protests against shale gas exploration in Northeast Bulgaria — and almost every other protest initiative deemed to be instrumental in obstructing Western and particularly American business or political interests in Bulgaria.

Last but not least, they associate with local Bulgarian “patriotic bikers” from various cities on the Black Sea Coast and beyond in assisting Russian “patriotic bikers” in the execution of their propaganda trips across Europe. And while not many people in Bulgaria would hold commemorative services for deceased “heroes of Novorossiya” in occupied Eastern Ukraine, BNO Shipka’s supporters in Ruse, for instance, have held a memorial service for Arsen Pavlov (Motorola) and Mikhail Tolstykh (Givi).

Same goes for organizing humanitarian aid to entities in the self-proclaimed “People’s Republics” in Eastern Ukraine and other gestures aiming at recognition and advancement of Russian interests in the “near abroad.”

Available evidence suggests that these groups have in many ways been modeled after their foreign “cousins” in Eastern Ukraine and elsewhere in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. They have also masked themselves as “survivalist” organizations fueled by ideas that go against the constitutional form of governance as well as doomsday scenarios involving “the global banking elite,” “the global Zionist lobby,” as well as the “bankrupt U.S. seeking to begin a new world war.”

Survivalism can serve as a good cover for obscuring the groups’ ideological leanings and pro-Kremlin biases, while also helping to maintain active links with Western European radical entities and individuals.

Steady monitoring of this group should continue to shed light on how it is evolving.

Share this article:

Kiril Avramov and Ruslan Trad are the team behind the Borderline Watch Project.
Kiril is a post-doctoral fellow at the Intelligence Studies Project at the University of Texas at Austin.
Ruslan is a freelance journalist and analyst with over ten years’ experience covering MENA, Balkans, and Turkey regional issues.

Join the Bellingcat Mailing List:

Enter your email address to receive a weekly digest of Bellingcat posts, links to open source research articles, and more.

Support Bellingcat

You can support the work of Bellingcat by donating through the below link:

25 Comments

I’m afraid this is what happens when the political leaders of the day introduce sweeping changes (mass immigration for economic purposes sold as a “refugee crisis”) without consulting the people about it. When Democracy fails unsavoury types step into the vacuum.

Blame the precious EU project and their glorious leaders for this because the stated goal of the “project” is to eradicate the nation state and most Europeans do not agree. When the reasonable folks you reference who are not in favour of mass immigration are confronted with the behaviour of these “patriots” they will simply shrug their soldiers because the political process has already ignored them.

Obvious really. They are confronted with a situation no one asked them to vote on & no one appears to be doing anything about. Radical groups are what happens when people are simply ignored, so it is not hard to see how Putin can step into the void & parley that into political influence.

Quite interesting to see the links between Pegida, BNO and Russia. It can indeed be seen this report is funded by George Soros, but I’m convinced it isn’t all about Russia putting up millitia puppets at the Bulgarian border. I think that some people are genuinly concerned about immigration from the Middle East, because it seems like NGOs and governments are letting illegal activities thrive that can hurt our countries in the long-term. Despite all of the good intentions giving money to maffiosi like those of the Ndrangeta or allowing human trafficking in general is illegal and it’s hurting vital treaties such as the Schengen treaty and the Dublin treaty. If our governments are not protecting our interests regarding our sovereignty, then you can see amateurish civil militias taking over the job of border control and countries and NGOs with anti-EU interests like Russia and some radical Wilders supporters of PEGIDA can use this sentiment in their advantage to act on their behalf.

Just like other times in History such as the period leading up to the 1st World War or the Fall of Yugoslavia, today we find once again a coincidence of Agenda’s ..
The Neoliberal, The Far Right. The Christian Nationalist and others all working to one aim , to undermine Democracy and thereby develop the political vacuum and space for Fascism to take hold. It doesn’t matter if it’s an action of Putin, Jim Dowson (Knights Templer International ) or Steve Bannon’s “Movement”.Although there may be few if any direct links to all these individuals or organisations or perhaps even other Organisations yet to be uncovered, the aim is the same.Destabilise Political Regimes, financially and socially disenfranchise “The Masses” and finally to rule by Fear and Prejudice. Not all together dissimilar to Germany in the mid-late 1930s only this time on a Global scale…